Improvement in separating hydrocarbons



UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICEO ROBERT A. OHESEBROUGH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,240, dated J nne 5, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. GHEsE- nnooen, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Process of Separating Hydrocarbon Oils from Bone- Black or other Filtering Materials, of which the following is a specification.

Letters Patentof the United States were issued to Robert A. Ohesebrough during the year 1865 for purifying hydrocarbon oils by filtration through bone-black, alumina, and peatcharcoal.

The object of the present invention is to separate from the above-named filtering substances the oil remaining therein after the process of filtration is completed.

The amount of oil remaining in suspension in the bone-black, &0., after filtering is about from ten to twenty per cent. of the amount of crude oil filtered. It is therefore desirable to recover back the oil (which otherwise would be lost) in an economical manner.

My invention consists in the use of a strong tank, boiler, or retort, of any suitable material, shape, or size, which, for safety, ought to be able to stand a pressure of steam of seventy-fi ve pounds to the square inch. It should be provided with a man-hole or opening at the top or side (which can be tightly closed at pleasure) for the purpose of filling or emptying. The boiler is filled up with the boneblack containing the oil to be extracted about three-quarters full. The man-hole is tightly closed and a column of wet steam is injected into the boiler, which gradually creates a pressure therein, which may be varied from. twenty to seventy pounds to the square inch, as occasion requires. After sustaining the pressure for some hours, or as long as necessary, the operation is suspended, and on opening the boiler it will be found that the oil has left the bone-black or other filtering material, and is floating on top of the water which accumulates from the condensation of steam during the operation. The bone-black being heavier than water and not soluble therein, will be found comparatively free from oil below the water. The oil can then be drawn or pumped out of the boiler, the bone-black removed, and the boiler refilled with other bone-black for a further continuance of the process.

Should it be found that the condensation of steam does not yield a sufficient quantity of water to keep the oil separate from the boneblack, a quantity of water may be put in the boiler at the beginning of the operation sufficient to supply the deficiency.

For removing the oil from the peat-charcoal and alumina my process is the same as for the bone-black.

The explanation of my process is easy and perfectly simple, viz: Under the combined action of heat and pressure the oil contained in the bone-black leaves it and, being lighter than water, comes to the surface. When the pressure is withdrawn the dividing strata of water prevent its return into the bone-black.

The same result may be obtained by putting fire under the boiler and converting a portion of the water contained therein directly into steam, which, as it cannot escape, will yield any amount of pressure required in proportion to the heat applied.

What 1* claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The application of steam in a closed recep-. tacle to bone-black or other filtering media, for the purpose of extracting the hydrocarbon oils remaining therein after filtration, whether the steam is made in the receptacle or conducted therein.

ROBT. A. GHESEBROUGH.

Witnesses:

WM. H. GHEsEBRoUeH, L. L. COUDERT. 

